Metaphysics

What is the fundamental nature of our existence? Is the universe – which consists of space, energy, matter and time – all there is?

Why is there something rather than nothing? Is there free will or is every action determined by causes? Was the universe created or has it always existed? Are there spiritual beings? Is there life after death? What is the nature of the universe, of substance, causality, etc.? These are all metaphysical questions.

So in trying to reconcile our lives with all of reality, we must turn to something other than “hard” science. Today, science – at least according to a highly vocal group of scientists – completely denies the existence of anything that is not observable. That includes what most faith groups refer to as “spiritual”. That’s why, when you talk to them about spiritual matters, they look at you as if you had two heads!

Yet one of the really big questions physicists are grappling with is understanding why there seems to be so little matter in the universe. According to their calculations, there just isn’t enough of it! So they have theorized that there must be more matter than they can “see” using the available observational technology. Thus the name “dark matter”. It’s a theoretical construct, but it does seem to have some explanatory usefulness.

The interesting thing to me is that this non-observable stuff is not part of the natural realm scientists want to confine themselves to! The way I see it, they have resorted to metaphysics to explain phenomena they are unable to explain by strictly scientific means! So, if it’s non-observable, if it’s non-naturalistic, doesn’t that mean it’s spiritual?

Another question I have for the scientific community is whether they have a non-spiritual explanation for things like the “mind” that ant colonies or beehives have. Or what gives spiders the ability to make webs? Did they go to web design school? No, they just “knew”. Yeah, I know – spooky!